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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: foot · rule · leaves · stick · pass · pitcher · bass · squash

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rule — a law
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rule — government
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bass — low music
  17. pass — a permit
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rule — to rule out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com